Poorly performing buildings where:

» System and equipment problems result in higher than necessary utility bills.
» Unexpected or excessive equipment repair and replacements due to premature failures cost the owner money and eat up staff time.
» Poor indoor environmental quality causes employee absenteeism, tenant complaints and turnover, and in the most severe cases, leads to lawsuits and expensive retrofits.

HVAC Survey & Commissioning accomplishes the following:

• Brings the owner’s needs and project requirements to the forefront at each phase of the project to ensure that the finished product will meet expectations.
• Improves the building’s overall performance by optimizing energy-efficient design features and directly addressing issues like equipment performance testing and system integration.
• Verifies that building staff members are well-trained and possess the documentation they need to operate and maintain the building’s systems and equipment after turnover.

Building owners spend more on complex building systems than ever before, yet many find they are not getting the performance they expect. A 1994 study of 60 commercial buildings found that more than half suffered from control problems. In addition, 40% had problems with HVAC equipment and one third had sensors that were not operating properly. An astonishing 15% of the buildings studied were actually missing specified equipment. And approximately one-quarter of them had energy management control systems, economizers, and/or variable speed drives that did not run properly.

Commissioning Services for New Projects.

The new project commissioning process focuses on verifying and documenting that the facility, including all systems and assemblies, are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated and maintained to meet the project's requirements.

Building Commissioning (Cx) is increasingly recognized as a valuable way to ensure building performance, reduce energy use, and improve indoor air quality, occupant comfort and employee productivity.

Successful Cx results in optimal energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, reduced change orders during construction, extended systems life and reduced operation and maintenance costs, often paying for itself before construction is completed. To be most effective, building commissioning begins in the planning phase and continues through design, construction, startup, acceptance, training and the warranty period, and continues throughout a building's life cycle.

HVAC Retro-commissioning (RCx), or Existing Building HVAC Survey & Commissioning Services

HVAC survey & retro-commissioning is the application of the commissioning process to existing buildings. HVAC survey & retro-commissioning is a process that seeks to improve how building mechanical equipment and systems are operating and functioning together. Depending on the age of the building, HVAC retro-commissioning can often resolve problems that occurred during design or construction, or address problems that have developed throughout the building’s life. In all, HVAC retro-commissioning improves a building’s operations and maintenance (O&M) procedures to enhance overall building performance

The commissioning process can be applied to existing buildings that have never been commissioned to restore them to optimal performance. HVAC Retro-commissioning (RCx) is a systematic, documented process that identifies low-cost operational and maintenance improvements in existing buildings and brings the buildings up to the design intentions of its current usage.

WH Engineering's HVAC RCx typically focuses on energy-using equipment, such as mechanical equipment, and related controls and usually optimizes existing system performance, rather than relying on major equipment replacement, typically resulting in improved indoor air quality, comfort, controls, energy and resource efficiency.

We Start from a survey of the entire building including a study of past utility bills, and interviews with facility personnel. Then diagnostic monitoring and functional tests of building systems are executed and analyzed. Building systems are retested and re-monitored to fine-tune improvements. This process helps find and repair operational problems. The identification of more complex problems are presented to the owner as well. A final report, HVAC re-commissioning plan and schedule are then given to the owner.

HVAC survey & retro-commissioning goes beyond day-to-day building upkeep to provide a thorough assessment of the operation of mechanical equipment, and related controls. The intent is to improve how equipment operates as a system.

An essential aspect of the HVAC survey & retro-commissioning process is providing training to building staff. Involving staff early allows them to take advantage of the training opportunities that occur throughout the retro-commissioning process. When staff members increase their understanding of building equipment and troubleshooting skills, they are better able to operate and maintain equipment and respond to occupant requests without circumventing energy-saving strategies. Training may include onsite walk-through with members of the commissioning team, developing and analyzing trend-logging strategies, and classroom-style presentations.

HVAC Survey & Re-commissioning Services

Building systems can be purchased from different vendors, installed by different contractors and operated by different facilities staff, who are under pressure to resolve occupant complaints about comfort. Quick fixes may resolve an individual complaint, but can lead to other systems becoming out of balance and losing the persistence of benefits from initial building commissioning or retro-commissioning. Additionally, building systems require periodic analysis and adjustment. We verify and document the performance of individual components as well as overall performance of any integrated components and/or systems.

HVAC Re-commission may be triggered by a change in building use or ownership, the onset of operational problems, or some other need. Ideally, a plan for re-commissioning is established as part of a new building’s original commissioning process or an existing building’s retro-commissioning process.

WH Mechanical Engineering Inc. provides the following HVAC survey & retro-commissioning services:

› Design document review including all drawings and specifications

› Review of HVAC equipment submittal data and shop drawings

› Building HVAC system survey and energy audit

› Verification and documentation of HVAC mechanical equipment, system installation and start-up

› HVAC system control verification

› HVAC system testing, adjusting and balancing.

› Recommendations and preparation of a preventative maintenance plan

›Owner / building operator training